“So joy can be joy and sorrow can be sorrow, with neither of them casting either light or shadow on the other.” Marilynne Robinson

Before I get into the five things that brought me joy this week, I want to acknowledge that it’s been a difficult and overwhelming week for many, including myself, as we have been buffeted with news of Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd, the shooting death of Daunte Wright, and the shooting death of Adam Toledo. My heart breaks at the loss of life. And I just cannot see how any of this was justified in any way. I believe there has to be another way to handle these situations and I’m working to educate myself on what it would look like to defund or abolish the police.

On top of those horrific stories came the news of the mass shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis. It can be so difficult to find moments of joy in week’s like this, and I’ll be honest, I wrestled with whether I should share anything today or not. But I will because I think it is important to remember that life is complex. That we can have our hearts break while watching the news and simultaneously be happy that we are safe and cozy in our homes. We don’t have to only feel one way or the other at any given moment. So…if you are interested in where I found my joy this week, please read on.

1. This recipe – I made this Skillet Chicken Enchilada Bake for dinner last night and I’m already looking forward to having the leftovers for dinner tonight. I added sautéed mushrooms just because we had some that needed to be used up. It was soooo good! And super easy to put together. Also, if you don’t want to deal with cutting fresh corn off the cob, I find that the Del Monte Summer Crisp corn is the best canned corn to use as a substitute. Or frozen would work too!
2. Planning travel – I know this is still a controversial topic, but as more and more people are getting vaccinated (we are!) and infection rates are going down in areas, we are planning some trips to spend time with family. It’s exciting and anxiety-inducing all at once! But the idea of spending quality time with people we love is worth the other feelings!
3. New Orleans – The book I’m writing is about New Orleans so the books I’m reading right now are about New Orleans. I spent two summers volunteering down there after Hurricane Katrina and then ended up moving there full time. I stayed for 2 years and I’ve been back to visit several times but I think it has now been the longest stretch of time between visits. Instead I’ve been traveling through my books. And hearing other people describe the city I love so much in a way that only someone who knows it can understand…I’ve even teared up a few times because it feels like home.
4. Spring snow – We always get one (hopefully) final snowstorm in mid to late April. And it came this week! At our house we got probably 6-7 inches of heavy wet snow. Do I love having my spring interrupted by winter every year? Not especially. But it is bringing much needed moisture to our drought-prone state. And since it has been warm recently, the paved areas are already melted so no need for shoveling!
5. New clothing – After doing a thorough inventory of my closet and making a list of specific needs/wants, I ordered some new clothes and most of them arrived last week. Some are replacements for other items that were worn out or didn’t fit any more. Some are specific items that I’ve wanted to add to my wardrobe for awhile. A few things didn’t fit as expected so I’ll be returning those and only keeping the things I loved. There’s an influencer I follow on Instagram (her name is Ailsa @_happygocurly_) and she likes to say “your clothes shouldn’t hurt your feelings.” While I’m still on a healthy journey that *might* result in losing some weight, I am so happy to have clothing right now that doesn’t hurt my feelings when I put it on!